Context

In 1991, the U.S.S.R. collapsed into fifteen sovereign republics, ending the Cold War. The Gulf War was fought between a U.N.-authorized coalition force from thirty-four nations against Iraq, which had invaded Kuwait in 1990. An amateur video captured the beating of motorist Rodney King by Los Angeles police officers. The "Birmingham Six" are freed when a court determines that the police fabricated evidence of them bombing a pub 17 years earlier. The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed above 3,000 for the first time ever. The first Sonic the Hedgehog game was published by Sega. Serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer was arrested. Tim Berners-Lee announced the World Wide Web project and software. Clarence Thomas was confirmed to the Supreme Court. Magic Johnson announced that he has HIV.

The top films of 1991 included Terminator 2: Judgment Day, Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, Beauty and the Beast, Hook, and The Silence of the Lambs, the last of which also won the Academy Awards for Best Picture, Best Director (Jonathan Demme), Best Actor (Anthony Hopkins), and Best Actress (Jodie Foster).

The biggest hit songs of 1991 included "(Everything I Do) I Do it For You" by Bryan Adams, "Black or White" by Michael Jackson, "Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now)" by C&C Music Factory, and "More Than Words" by Extreme. Top albums included Unforgettable, With Love by Natalie Cole, Metallica by Metallica, Nevermind by Nirvana, and Dangerous by Michael Jackson.